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Referral Instructions

You've been referred off campus by your Student Health Center primary care provider. Please call the office and don't wait for them to call you.  

  • Referrals expire at the end of each academic year and must be renewed at the beginning of the new academic year. 

  • We highly recommend that you go to an in network specialist, so you don’t incur high medical costs. 

Referral Instructions

1. Call to schedule an appointment with the specialist you've been referred to in Santa Cruz from this list, we have faxed your referral to them. Please confirm that the clinician is in-network with Anthem Blue Cross. 
  1. If the specialist is not in Santa Cruz, use the Provider Anthem Blue Cross link to find a specialist in your area. Your alpha prefix is XDP.
  2. Before scheduling your appointment with the provider's office, please verify that they are contracted with Anthem Blue Cross.
2. Download the Sydney Health app. The app contains your electronic insurance card, member ID, and benefit information. After downloading the app, follow the setup instructions.

3. You may be contacted by Health Information Management to complete a release of information if we do not receive your visit notes.

4. Understand Your Costs. Review your UC SHIP Summary of Benefits and Coverage, along with your Anthem Benefit booklet, so you're aware of your copay (due when you arrive at your appointment), deductible, and coinsurance for off-campus specialists, laboratories, or imaging facilities. 

5. Need to view your referral? Visit Health e-Messenger and log in using your Cruz ID and Gold password. Select "Referrals" from the left sidebar.

6. If you need a ride to your specialist appointment, please reply to this secure message or call the Insurance Department at 831-459-2389.

Dual Insurance Instructions

If you have insurance other than UC SHIP, your private health insurance will be billed first, and UC SHIP will be billed second when you see an outside specialist (except Medi-Cal, MRMIP, and TRICARE).

  1. Please upload a picture of the front and back of your medical insurance card by logging into Health e-Messenger and clicking on Insurance Card > Add New Card > Upload Front Image > Upload Back Image > Save.

Please let us know if your medical insurance plan is Medi-Cal, managed by Kaiser, Anthem Blue Cross, or Blue Shield, and specify which county you reside in.

If you have any questions, please contact our Insurance Department at insure@ucsc.edu.